The Secrets We Keep
by fhsdrumline08
Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will a secrets be the end of this relationship before it even begins? RyanOC
1. Ch 1: Moving Back

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI:LV or CSI:Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI:Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I want to keep up with this story, seeing how as I have a lot of ideas in my teenage mind. I don't know how often I'll update with school, and my grades, and my job. It's a struggle**

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_I want to rock and roll all night, and party everyday_

_I want to rock and roll all night, and party everyday_

The sounds of Kiss blast from a radio somewhere in the distance, under the warm Miami sun. Miami had been my home as a kid and would be my home as an adult. Las Vegas taught me a lot about people and about myself. When my father died, he had made it know that his last wish was for his two daughters to be in Miami, together, as a family. Things in Vegas had gone bad; I had gotten way too attached to a case with a dead little girl. Because of said attachment, the team almost didn't get the conviction we needed and wanted. I figured after IAB got done with me that it was time for a change. I came back to Miami, my head full of new ideas, and ready for a fresh start at life. I had just hoped that my past would stay in Las Vegas, and not follow me to Miami. I walk into the large lab, noticing that it looked like it had just been remodeled, and smelled like a fresh coat of paint.

"Giana Silvio, I presume."

I turn around and see source of the voice standing behind me.

"Lieutenant Caine?"

"Horatio, please."

"Horatio, it's good to finally be here."

He smiled kindly, making me feel right at home in this new place.

"Well, the Las Vegas crime lab gave you good markings. Aparently, Gil Grissom really liked you."

"Gil is really good at what he does. He's a great guy to work with."

Horatio nods his head, and points ahead of the two of us.

"I'll show you where your locker is, then we can go meet the rest of the team."

"Sounds good to me."

We walk into the locker room, where I stash my stuff in a locker, then we go into the morgue.

"Alexx, meet Gianna Silvio, Level 2 CSI. Gianna, this is Alexx Woods, the coroner."

I extended my hand in professional courtesy, which she accepted a few seconds later.

"Hi Alexx."

"Hello sweetie."

Horatio led me out of the room, and into the DNA lab.

"H, I ran those prints for you."

I see a tanned person of assumably Cuban decent, in his late 20's-early 30's standing in front of us.

"Eric Delko, meet Gianna Silvio, level 2."

"Yeah, I know her. Her family used to spend the summer down the street from where I lived."

"Delko wasn't the easiest kid to spend time with as kids."

Horatio, Delko, and I all smiled at the playful banter between Eric and I.

"Where's Ryan and Calleigh?"

"Ballistics."

We all finished the conversation, leaving Eric in the room, and headed to the other rooms. A few seconds later, we turn into what is the ballistics lab.

"Horatio, Calleigh taught me how to use the laser sight. It's so cool."

The man is mid-late 20's, at least six feet tall, light brown/dark blonde hair, and the most gorgeous blue eyes you've ever seen in your life. Next to him is another beautiful blonde woman, who seemed about the same age as Delko.

"Gianna, this is Ryan Wolfe, level 3,a nd Calleigh Duquesne, level 3. This is Gianna Silvio, level 2, transferred from Las Vegas."

"Hi."

I shook Calleigh's hand. She looked like a sweet, kind woman that had a few secrets of her own hidden beneath the tough as nails exterior.

"and Hey Ryan."

"Hello Miss Silvio."

"Oh, Gianna, please."

He shook my hand and smiled. Instantaneously, I knew that working here would be fun. Horatio soon excused himself from the room, leaving Ryan, Calleigh, and I alone.

"Standard procedure. Step over here, Gianna, so we can test your shooting skills."

Calleigh handed me a standard police issue .9 mm smith & Wesson.

"Just aim for the middle."

"and see if you can beat my old record. I'm the only one to ever get perfect."

I turn and see Ryan smiling smugly. Now I knew I had to beat this silly record.

"Whenever you're ready, Gianna."

I begin firing, then hand the now empty weapon over to Calleigh, and hit the button to bring the target to me. Every single last bullet had hit in the middle. I grinned and handed the target to Ryan.

"if you two would excuse me, I'm going to go file some of this paperwork with personnel."

I turn and leave Ryan with his jaw still hanging to the floor.

"Looks like you've got some competition now, Ryan."

"can't say I'd mind that kind of competition."

Calleigh rolls her eyes, and starts cleaning the weapon. As I walk out of the ballistics lab, I know that it was going to be easy to move back with friends like that

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**A/N: Please read & Review!**

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	2. Ch 2: Getting Through The Day

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI:LV or CSI:Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI:Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I want to keep up with this story, seeing how as I have a lot of ideas in my teenage mind. I don't know how often I'll update with school, and my grades, and my job. It's a struggle**

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"So, Mr. Martinez, you're saying that you didn't see anything? Nothing at all?"

Shortly after I finished filing the papers, Horatio had called Ryan and I to a crime scene by the beach. It was supposed to be an open/shut case, according to Wolfe, but was beginning to be anything but. First, the man that Tripp said was going to be the witness had actually seen nothing. How a beach full of people could manage to miss a man shoot someone was beyond me, and I would never understand it.

"I didn't see anything, maim. I wish I could be of more help."

"Thanks anyway. Listen, if you remember anything, anything at all, I want you to call the Miami-Dade police department."

I say, handing him a card with the Miami-Dade phone number on it.

"Any little thing can make or break a case, so please call if you remember."

I turn and join Ryan as he sits beside Alexx. She's whispering something to the body as she works. I had heard that Alexx speaks to the dead, and while it seemed different to me, I knew that each person had their methods of dealing with this job, and if that was hers, so be it.

"She's just a baby. I'd be surprised if she's even 18. Don't worry, sweetie, we'll get the one who did this to you."

"Did you get any samples from under the fingernails?"

She hands me a small envelope.

"Can you tell me a cause of death?"

"First glance, it looks like baby girl was hit from behind. She wasn't expecting it, didn't see her attacker. Poor baby."

"Alright, thanks Alexx. Let us know if you find anything."

"Will do, you two find this guy fast."

She says as she walks away.

"What do you got, Ryan?"

"Some hair and fibers found around the body. There was a bottle of vodka next to her body."

"You thinking she came out here, drunk, with somebody who expected to get lucky?"

"Looks like our girls luck just ran out. What do you got for me?"

"Nada. Our magical witness is actually not a witness at all. He doesn't know anything, and he's not hiding anything, besides the fact that he's hiding this job from his wife."

"Somebody will be in the doghouse when that one unravels."

I laugh, something I haven't really been in the mood to do for a long time. Fake smiles and grins were one thing. This laugh was genuine, and I had Wolfe to thank for that. Looking over at him, he's laughing as well.

"Spoken like a man who's been there before."

"Oh, snap, that one hurt a little bit."

He holds his chest in mock pain.

"Ow."

"Oh, you big baby. That wasn't even one of my best."

I say, as we keep joking around. Our line of work isn't the easiest one to deal with sometimes, and having fun when you can is vital.

"Listen, I know you lived here before, but things have changed a lot in twenty years, and I was just wondering if you wanted to go grab a drink after work."

I know that it's pretty much a stupid idea to enter into a relationship with a co-worker. _Come on, Gianna, don't kid yourself. A)he probably doesn't want to anything to do with you anyway. B)it's just drinks, not like he invited you back to his place, relax._

"So, Gia, what do you think?"

"Yeah, drinks sound great. I'd like to catch up on the old Miami lifestyle."

We gather up the evidence and head towards the standard issue Hummer.

"So, Ryan,"

"So, Gia,"

"Do you every think about life outside of here when you're on the job?"

"Sure I do. Everybody does. It's just what you have to do to get through the day."

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	3. Ch 3: Setting The Stage

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI:LV or CSI:Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI:Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I want to keep up with this story, seeing how as I have a lot of ideas in my teenage mind. I don't know how often I'll update with school, and my grades, and my job. It's a struggle**

**A/N: Thanks so much to my great reviews! It's a great feeling to see that someone enjoyed your writing!**

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_Big wheels keep on turning,_

_Proud Mary keep on burning,_

_Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river_

I look over at Ryan as we drive, and can't help but smile. Adjusting to living in Miami wasn't the easiest thing I've ever had to do. The only people I really know are my coworkers at the crime lab, mainly because I never really had the time or the energy to attack the Miami lifestyle. Ryan has really helped me out, more so than anyone else. He became my confidant, my best friend. Ryan was the one I could go to after a tough shift, even if he hadn't been working the case. Through my new friendships with Calleigh and Alexx, I had learned some things that happened before I came here: Tim Speedle getting shot, Ryan getting the nail in his eye, the whole Delko/Boa Vista relationship. This crime lab was actually a lot like the Las Vegas crime lab. When you really got to know everyone, we're just one big 'family'.

"Big wheels keep on turning, proud Mary keep on burning,"

Ryan makes a face as he sings and drives, and that sends me into another fit of laughter, and soon, he starts laughing as well. Since that first night we went for drinks two months ago, we tried to keep our relationship strictly professional, but there were those few rare nights when one of us would get too drunk and fall asleep on the other person's sofa. Those were the nights we never let anybody else know about; nights we kept just between the two of us. The case we were working on with the dead girl had hit a dead end; there were no witnesses. We had a suspect, but the evidence went against him, and into the middle of nowhere. Wolfe and I had solved two cases since then. Horatio had told us not to worry about it, but this case struck a chord with me, and I didn't know why. It left a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that I couldn't get rid of.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I look from my window over to Ryan, who's looking at me, the concern evident in his facial features.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

He asks, as he turns the radio down.

"Just some stuff. It's fine."

I state, giving him a reassuring smile. Not even fifteen minutes later, we reach the crime scene in a hotel room at the most popular hotel in Miami. A few people have tried to flock around the crime scene, but the police are holding them back. Delko, Calleigh, Horatio, and Alexx were already there.

"What do we got?"

"Sandra Blackhurst, 22. Woman she carpools with said she wouldn't answer the door this morning. First cops on scene broke the door down."

"Cause of death, Alexx?"

"Looks like baby girl was hit over the head with that lamp."

She says, pointing at the lamp beside her.

"There's something in her mouth, guys."

She reaches in and pulls out a worn, folded photograph, and hands it to Horatio. He carefully unfolds it, and his eyes widen when he sees who is in it.

"Horatio, who is it?"

He hands me the photograph. It's of Sandra, Kaycee (the first case I had worked), and myself when we were just teenagers, maybe eighteen at the oldest. We were all dressed for a wild night of clubbing, as if we were five years older than we really were, like nothing could touch us. Kaycee and Sandra's faces were crossed out once, but mine was circled multiple times. I knew that Kaycee was setting the stage for something bigger. That's what that sick feeling was in the very pit of my stomach. I barely handed the photo to Delko before I ran outside, throwing up all the food I had ate this morning.


	4. Ch 4: Up close and a little personal

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI:LV or CSI:Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI:Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I want to keep up with this story, seeing how as I have a lot of ideas in my teenage mind. I don't know how often I'll update with school, and my grades, and my job. It's a struggle**

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A comforting hand rubs my back while the other holds my hair back. The thought that somebody was after me, had been watching me for who knows how long, was almost too much to bear. Calleigh hands a bottle of water in front of my face, having followed me out of the building. I take a drink, rinsing my mouth out, then actually take a drink.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry about all this."

"Don't worry about it, Gianna. Everyone loses their composure once in a while, it's what makes us humans and good CSI's."

I stood up, straightening my clothes out, while footsteps came up behind the two of us.

"Miss Silvio, feeling better?"

"A little bit, yes."

I say, looking at Horatio.

"Can you explain to me how you know Kaycee McDaniels and Sandra Blackhurst?"

He asks in that soothingly calm, non-threatining voice of his.

"We met at a club once. I haven't seen them since. That was it."

"Okay. Right now, I want you to go home and come back tomorrow once you've calmed down a little bit."

He walks away before I have the chance to refuse his offer.

"Did you drive yourself Gia?"

"No, I rode here with….."  
Before I can finish my sentence, Ryan walks up behind us, occupying the space that Calleigh was once in.

"Gia, I cleared it with Horatio. I'm going to come stay with you for awhile. I just need to swing by my apartment really quickly."

I just nod my head as the two of us get in the CSI-standard issue Hummer. We drove along for a few minutes as I struggle to find a reason why anybody would be coming after me. Could it be someone from Las Vegas, from a case I had once worked? Could it be someone from Miami? Before I know it, we've pulled up in front of Ryan's building.

"Come on, Gia."

He says, gently, shaking me out of my reverie. We go inside, get in the elevator and go up to his floor, going into his apartment.

"Home sweet home, huh?"

"It's a great apartment, Ryan. Really."

The further we go inside, I see that his apartment is incredibly clean for a man. The CD cases are in alphabetical order, DVD's are also in alphabetical order, the sofa and chairs are perfectly positioned with the room. That is when it hits me: Ryan has over compulsive disorder. It's a fairly common disorder, but Ryan seems to have a more severe case. At work, I never noticed anything big, but when I started thinking about it, Ryan showed some of the signs and symptoms.

"I just have to pack a few more things that we can leave."

I hear Ryan say from what I assume to be his bedroom.

"Yeah, okay. That's cool."

A few minutes later, he emerges from his bedroom, a duffle bag slung over his left shoulder.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes. I just want to get home."

"Can't keep a lady waiting."

Ryan jokes, a warm smile on his face. We walk back out of his building, get back in the Hummer, and drive over to my apartment.

"See, now this is high class living."

Ryan says as we enter my two bedroom apartment. It wasn't much, but I wasn't really home that much. I worked double shifts at the lab as often as I could, wanting to the over-time pay. If I wasn't working, then I was at the gym or firing range, trying to keep my skills in check.

"What are you talking about? This is smaller than the dollhouse I had when I was a kid."

"It's not small, Gia. It's great and can you please be positive right now? Like Horatio said, right now, the less stress, the better."

I nod my head, sliding my shoes off and putting them in the rack next to the door.

"You're right. I'm just a little freaked out, that's all. I mean, this maniac could be coming after me."

"Keyword being Could be. We don't know for sure of anything yet. We'll just work the case until we have some concrete evidence before we start panicking. I'm just going to go put my bag in the guest room."

"Go on ahead."

I turn around and fall back onto the sofa, closing my eyes for a brief few seconds. I open them again, though, when I hear a song start playing from my stereo, and see Ryan standing there, dancing like a fool.

"Wolfe, what are you doing?"  
I say, trying to resist laughing, but not doing a very good job.

"I'm going to get you in a better mood if it's the last thing I do."

He grabs my hands and pulls me off the sofa, as we begin dancing around the room.

"Now that she's back from that soul vacation, tracing her way through the constellation, hey. She checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo, reminds me that there's time to grow, hey."

We both start laughing as we dance across the room, the sounds of Train, Ryan's singing, and our laughter all mixing together.

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere, I'm afraid that she might think of me as,_

_Plain old Jane, tell a story 'bout a man who was too afraid to fly, so he never could land_

We dance late into the night, not even seeing the man watching us from the building across the street.

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**Please Read and review! The song mentioned above is Drops of Jupiter by Train**

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	5. Ch 5: The Breakdown

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI: LV or CSI: Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI: Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I think I've done a pretty good job on updating this, so please stick with me. Thank you so much for all of the great reviews! They make me so happy. This is an exciting chapter (I think), so please enjoy!**

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As I open my eyes, I realize just how worn out I must've been. I don't remember falling asleep, nor do I remember going into the bedroom. The more I begin to wake, the more aware I become that there is someone in my bed, besides me.

"Good morning."

I hear Ryan's voice, as he too begins to wake up.

"What time is it?"

"About nine am."

"We've both slept for twelve hours."

"Seriously?"

He nods, and then laughs.

"You were so wiped out last night. It's almost like you were drunk."

"Yeah, I think Horatio was right. I just needed a good night of sleep to clear my head."

Immediately at the mention of clearing my head, Ryan's eyes are filled with concern again

"You're okay now, though, right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?"

He asks. His hand brushed a piece of hair out of my face, gently as if it were a delicate piece of evidence.

"Yeah, I'm good."

I answer, smiling. I sigh, rub my eyes, and then sit up in bed, still in my clothes from yesterday.

"I have to get up. I work today."

"I don't."

"Lucky jerk. I need to shower. If you want to stay here and sleep it off, you can."

"I think I will. Your bed is really comfy."

"I know, it's great."

I leave Ryan to go back to sleep, while I grab some clothes, go to shower, and finish getting ready for work. By the time I get done, Ryan has already fallen back to sleep, and was holding my comforter to his body for dear life. I find my keys and my cell phone, and drive into work.

"Good morning, Miss Silvio."

"Morning, Calleigh."

We walk towards the lounge, the only sounds coming from the machines all around the lab.

"What's his name?"

"Calleigh, what are you talking about?"

"You've got that glow, like you had a great night last night. What's his name?"

"Promise you won't tell?"

"Cross my heart."

I move her into one of the empty labs.

"We're really just friends."

"A name, Gianna."

"Ryan Wolfe."

Her jaw dropped, and I wondered if I had made a mistake.

"What happened?"

"He came home with me yesterday, remember?"

She nods her head.

"He started dancing and singing, really silly-like. We danced all night, and fell asleep together. Nothing more."

"You said you were just friends?"

"Yeah."

"I think one of you wants more."

I shrug off Calleigh's comment and go off in search of Horatio.

"Miss Silvio, you're riding with me today. Eric and Calleigh will be behind us."

"Sounds good to me."

We get in the hummer, and a few silent minutes later, we pulled up to the crime scene, which happened to be an old apartment. Detective Tripp meets us at the front door, a worried look on his face.

"Gianna, maybe you shouldn't go in there."

"Come on, Frank. I'm sure I've seen worse before."

I walk in, and suddenly realize what had Frank so concerned. This crime scene wasn't like all of the others; this crime scene was about me. There were pictures all over the walls: me as a kid, me in high school, with friends, me in Las Vegas, some of Miami, and some with Ryan and I in a bar, laughing. There are items that I had thrown away months ago: old clothes, a letter from an ex-boyfriend. Eric and Calleigh arrive a few minutes later, and are in the same state of shock as I am.

"Eric, Calleigh, I want you to process every last piece of this crime scene. Gianna and I need to go have a chat at the lab."

They stay, while Horatio and I head back to the crime lab.

"Are you sure that you don't know who is doing this?"

I search my brain for an last idea, any shred of who this could possibly be.

"I don't know."

"Could it be someone who held a grudge? Some case you solved? Someone's family an ex-boyfriend? Anybody at all?"

As soon as H says ex-boyfriend, it hits me. I know who is doing all of this.

"Actually H, I know exactly who it is."

Without telling Horatio who it is, I get up and run out towards my personal vehicle, ready to speed off to where I know the person to be. Horatio, who was suddenly very interested, went over to the computer and ran my name through the system. What he came up with shocked him. Nothing was there. Since I was a CSI, I should've had my prints or something in the system. There was nothing. Wanting to know what was going on, he called Internal Affairs and they sent their best detective down.

"What's going on here, detective?"

"For one thing, her name isn't Gianna Silvio."

Right about that time, I was finally unlocking my car doors, having decided where to go. Someone came up behind me, and held a cloth with some kind of liquid on it over my face. As Horatio was learning the truth about my past, the world around me went black.

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	6. Ch 6: Coming To A Point

Title: The Secrets We Keep

Summary: Ryan falls for the new CSI, but will something end this relationship before it gets off the ground? Ryan/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI:LV or CSI:Miami characters (even thought I really wish I did). I do own Gianna Silvio, and any other characters that don't belong to the people that own the CSI 'empire'.

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a CSI:Miami fic, so please be gentle. The only time I get to watch it is when it's on A&E. I want to keep up with this story, seeing how as I have a lot of ideas in my teenage mind. I don't know how often I'll update with school, and my grades, and my job. It's a struggle**

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"Where'd she go?"

Ryan paces the floor of the interrogation room, which had became headquarters since my disappearance. After Horatio found out about me, he called Ryan to see if he knew where I was. Ryan panicked, and volunteered his help.

"I don't know, Ryan. She just said she knew who was doing this, got up, and left."

Horatio answers as he keeps reading the file that the Internal Affair detective gave him. My name was really Samantha McCoy. I had lived in Miami as a kid, but later moved to Las Vegas when I was sixteen, where I married who I thought was the man of my dreams, John. He was involved in some pretty shady drug deals, and I, myself, had fallen in with the wrong crowds. I was hustling at a local casino. When I started brining I more money than my husband, he got paranoid, and very abusive. Delko, who I had known since childhood, convinced me to go to the police and tell him everything John was doing. When I testified against John in court, he got his shady drug friends to threaten me. It was a big case, so the US Marshalls put me in witness protection under the name of Gianna Silvio.

"Eric, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"H, I didn't think this would happen. Gianna's a good kid, but you didn't see what that guy was doing to her."

Frank walked in and everyone jumped up, wanting to know where I was.

"You're going to love this."

"What is it, Frank?"

"Her ex-hubby John is living on South Beach."

While they all got ready to go, I was having the worst headache of my life.

"Don't worry, the chloroform will fully wear off in a few minutes."

As soon as I hear the voice, it hits me. It's Johnny.

"John,"

"So you do remember me, Sam. I was worried."

"What are you doing?"

"Sweetheart, you left me then you get together with Wolfe."

The way he said Ryan's last name made me want to deck him, like I'd never wanted anything more in my life.

"Ryan is a great guy, John."

"I bet he doesn't know about us."

He laughs, and I can feel his breath against my neck, making me cringe.

"You better hope your CSI buddies show up soon, or I might lose my temper!"

John screams the last part, hurting my ears, and making me afraid for my life. I try pulling my hands and feet, soon finding that I'm tied onto the chair.

"You should really not try doing that. It's just going to hurt you even more."

As my heart speeds up, the whole CSI team members' minds are running full speed.

"Ryan, babydoll, are you okay?"

Alexx asks, as she walks into the morgue. All she sees is Ryan furiously scrubbing his hands at the sink, not stopping for anything.

"Ryan!"

She finally walks over to him, and grabs his hands in her own. Ryan's hands are all red, and almost rubbed raw. Looking up at him, Alexx is ready to yell at him, but sees that his eyes are semi-bloodshot, and his cheeks are stained with tears.

"Baby, what's the matter?"

"It's just….it's…"

"Is it Gianna?"

"Samantha. Her real name is Samantha."

"What are you talking about?"

He sighs and waves it off.

"it's a long story. I'm scared, and worried, and nevous, and,"

"And you love her, don't you?"

Ryan stays silent, knowing that Alexx is telling the honest truth, even though he had never admitted it to himself, let alone anybody else. She sits down beside Ryan, lending him her ear.

"and do you want to know the best part?"

Alexx nods her head, basically telling Ryan to go on with the story.

"When Horatio told us about Gianna's past, I wasn't mad. I actually cared that much more, because she was strong enough to get out of a bad situation, and come out clean on the other side."

"You listen to me, Ryan Wolfe. You are all going to find her, and when you do, you will admit to her what you just told me, and the two of you are going to live a fabulous life together."

Ryan nods his head and goes back to the case. Before Alexx and Ryan can go on, Eric practically bursts through the morgue swinging doors.

"Wolfe, we found the ex-husband. We know where she is."

He instantly jumps up, goes out to the parking lot, and gets in the Hummer with Delko, following the rest of the crew to warehouse, where John is continuing his mental warfare on me.

"You know I never stopped loving you."

No response from me.

"Sammy, you may have been able to leave Las Vegas, but I followed you, and I'm not going to let you go."

"John, you have to. You need to move on, and find some sweet woman to spend the rest of your life with."

"But I don't want any other woman, I just want you."

I close my eyes and let my head fall back, not sure of what other method to try to get myself out of this situation. I hear a car pull up nearby, and having not heard any other car for a while, a spark of hope suddenly appears in my heart.

"What did you do, Samantha?"

"I didn't do anything. It must be my CSI friends that you talked about earlier."

Soon, my suspicions are confirmed when I hear Horatio's voice from outside.

"Vaughn, Miami-Dade crime lab! Let the girl go! She's done nothing to you!"

"Ah, Lieutenant Caine. I would really like you and CSI Wolfe to come in here, if you wouldn't mind."

The doors open and I see Ryan, Horatio, and Frank all walk in with the weapons drawn. I can read the worry etched in all three's faces.

"Are you alright, Gianna?"

I hear Horatio ask, and I nod my head as an answer.

"Oh, _Samantha, _is doing just fine. I've taken very good care of her."

"John, let Gianna go. She's doing nothing bad to you."

"Samantha! Her name is Samantha!"

As John yells, he presses a .9 mm into my neck, scaring me half to death.

"and She's done plently bad to me. She's the reason I was in prison for five years!"

"You were in prison because you commited drug related crimes, not because of your ex-wife."

"You're wrong, Horatio! It's all her fault! ALL HER FAULT!"

John starts panicking and moves the aim of his gun from me to the three detectives. Closing my eyes tight, I don't want to see what happens. Gunshots ring through the air for a solid five minutes.

"Gianna? Gianna, I need you to open your eyes for us, kiddo."

I slowly blink a few times as I open my eyes, looking right at Horatio.

"Good morning. Glad to see you join us again."

"Where am I?"  
I ask, noticing that I'm laying in a hospital bed, the faint beeps of the heart monitor next to me.

"You are in the hospital. See, one of John's bullets ricoched and hit you in the abdomen. The doctors fixed you all up though. Do you think you can handle a visitor?"

I nod my head, not able to speak at the moment. Horatio walks outside, and lets Ryan into my room. He looks terrible, as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Hey you."

"Hey."

Ryan sits down beside my bed, fidgeting nervously.

"Look, I need to tell you something."

"Okay."

"I understand why you couldn't tell any of us about your past, and I'm okay with that. I love how you got yourself out of a bad deal, a raw deal on life, and have done a 100 turn around. You're great, and funny, and special. You're one of the only women I know that is crazy enough to actually dance with me."

I laugh, remembering the time we danced in my apartment, but the laughter quickly stops, when I realize how much it hurts.

"I almost lost you today, and it scared me pretty bad. I don't want to lose you again. Gia, I love you."

I'm a bit taken back by his words, but in my heart, I know that I love him to. I mean, everything that he had gone through to bring me home safe.

"I love you too."

And in that instant, we look at each other and smile, glad to have found the other half of our hearts. So, in the end, do the secrets that we all keep from each other ruin our lives? I don't think they do. In the end, I think the secrets that we keep just making life even more interesting.


End file.
